MY OLD MAN
by SANDEFUR
Summary: I started looking at his new family, and seeing everything they had, and what we had to do without."


MY OLD MAN

By SANDEFUR

Chicago 1980

Lt. Gerald Girardi shook a few stray snowflakes from his uniform jacket before hanging it on the coat rack in the front hallway. His revolver he automatically secured in the lock box he kept in the adjacent closet.

"All done serving and protecting." he announced in a loud voice. "Hey, is anyone home?"

"In the dining room." responded a young male voice.

Gerald followed the sound of the voice and found his 15 year old science nerd of a son diligently doing his homework. Lord knows where the boy got the brains to be a straight 'A' student. Certainly not from the Girardi side.

"Hey Richie, any word from your mother?"

"She's working late at the hospital, same as every flu season. And I thought we talked about 'Richie'!"

Gerald suppressed a smile. He had gone through the exact same thing with his eldest son when he had insisted on abandoning his boyhood name of Willie for the more mature, Will.

"Sorry, Richard. I promise to do better, Richard. Is there any mail, Richard?"

"A couple of bills and a letter from Will."

Gerald all but winced. The hopeful expression on Richie's, or rather, Richard's face was like a knife in his guts. Richard had always idolized his older brother, and even now after so many months of strained relations, Richard still had his hopes up. He still desperately believed that in time his awesome big brother would fondly remember their younger days and end this lingering feud. If only.

Gerald went to the sideboard and found the letter on top of the small stack of mail. Sadly, he knew what was coming next.

"Will you read it out loud?"

What could he say, No? No, because it will be as always: a short, formal meeting of family obligation, devoid of emotion. Gerald sighed, opened the letter and began to read.

"Sir, Just a short note to let you know I have arrived safely at the police academy. This first day was orientation, but tomorrow the hard work begins. Due to the hectic schedule, I may not be able to write again any time soon. However, I will have a seat reserved for you at the graduation ceremony in the spring. My regards to you and your other family. Will."

"'Other family'? Mom and I don't even rate a mention by name? And I noticed we weren't invited to his graduation. Why does Will have to treat us like this? We never did him any harm."

"Richard, why do we have to hash this out again? Will has had a lot of issues ever since…he was a little kid."

"But why does he hurt us? It's not like Mom was the other woman. You didn't even meet her until a year after your divorce."

Gerald blushed. Even after all these years, his greatest moral lapse was still a sore spot. Twenty years ago, after a fight with his wife, he had had a drunken one night stand with a flirtatious co-worker. Guilt ridden, he had confessed and begged for forgiveness from his wife. But Eleanor, or "Princess" as most of her family called her, was never the forgiving type.

Richard noticed his father's embarrassment. "Sorry Pop, you're right. Why hash this out again? I'm…going to my room to study."

Richard gathered his books and trudged upstairs. As Gerald watched his son depart, he felt that familiar conflict of anger and guilt. True, Will was being unfair to Richard, but he was the end result of the mistakes of both of his flawed parents.

It was too easy to blame Eleanor for all of this. Gerald's ex-wife was a proud and angry woman who had raised 'bitter' to new heights. When her family's Italian restaurant had failed, and they were beginning their slide into poverty, Gerald had offered to help out. But no, Eleanor relished too much the chance to blame all their problems on her adulterous ex-husband.

As a result, Gerald had a daughter who wouldn't speak to him at all, and a son who only addressed him with cold formality. Not that he blamed Will. Encouraged by his mother, Will had grown a sizeable chip on his shoulder through comparing his life to that of his half-brother's. Then add to that the bitter pill Will had been forced to swallow when he had abandoned his dream...

A star athlete in school, Will was determined to be a professional baseball player, and after graduation, he had knocked about for several years in some semi-pro leagues. He desperately tried to break-in to the minors, but he was never able to make the cut. Eventually he had to face reality, and had gone on to college.

Morton Junior College was Gerald's alma mater, and Will had chosen to go there, although the choice may have mostly been due to finances. Gerald helped as much as he could, and Will seemed okay with his college choice until he learned of Richard's enormous college fund.

Set up by Gerald's in-laws, the college fund ensured that Richard Girardi, the straight 'A' student, could go to any college he desired. Adding this to his long list of resentments had been the last straw for Will. He vowed to cut Richard, "the favored son," out of his life forever.

With a heavy sigh, and a foreknowledge of failure, Gerald sat down and wrote a response to Will…

"Dear Will, I hope they are not working you too hard at the police academy. I have been missing you, and I'm sorry about everything with Richard. I understand how angry you are, but he's just a boy. Please don't blame him. You know none of this is his fault. If you must vent your anger on someone, take it out on me. Please give Richard another chance. As always, all my love—Dad."

THE END. PLEASE REVIEW.


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